French defenseman Pierre Crinon suspended for rest of Winter Games after on-ice fight with Tom Wilson

France has removed Pierre Crinon from its Olympic roster for the remainder of the Milan Cortina Games after the 30-year-old defenseman fought with Canada’s Tom Wilson during Sunday’s group-stage match. The federation ruled Crinon’s conduct breached the sport’s values and the spirit of the Olympics.

Federation bans Crinon from remaining tournament action

The French Ice Hockey Federation announced that Crinon will not be allowed to take part in France’s next match or any subsequent games at the Olympic tournament. The federation described Crinon’s behavior on his way off the ice as “provocative, ” saying it constituted a clear violation of the Olympic spirit and undermined the values of the sport. The decision was made in alignment with the French National Olympic and Sports Committee.

Crinon’s suspension removes a veteran presence from a French side that has struggled in group play. With France sitting at 0-3 in the tournament, Tuesday’s qualification-round matchup against Germany is likely the team’s final game in Milan Cortina unless they pull off a victory and advance.

What happened on the ice

The melee unfolded late in Sunday’s contest, with Canada leading by a wide margin. French defenseman Pierre Crinon was penalized earlier in the period for a high hit to a Canadian forward. With roughly 6: 59 remaining, tensions boiled over and Crinon and Tom Wilson engaged near the French goal.

Both players were assessed major penalties for fighting and were given game misconducts, which resulted in immediate ejections. Under international tournament rules, the fighting penalties carried five-minute majors rather than automatic multi-game suspensions. Officials allowed both teams to finish the contest with the standard disciplinary measures applied on the ice.

After Crinon was escorted off, he was seen reacting toward spectators in the arena, an action the federation later cited as compounding the offense and prompting the extended ban.

Implications for France and the tournament

The suspension leaves France without Crinon for its remaining Olympic schedule, whether that is a single final group match or any subsequent elimination games if they advance. If France defeats Germany in the qualification round, the team would face Slovakia in the next stage — but Crinon will not be available.

Canada, which won the matchup decisively, advances from the group stage and is slated to play a quarterfinal opponent at 10: 40 a. m. ET on Wednesday. The Canadian lineup will be without the ejected player for the remainder of that game but is otherwise unchanged for the next round under the tournament’s disciplinary framework.

The episode highlights friction between national federations and the sport’s international disciplinary norms: local governing bodies can impose additional sanctions beyond those assessed in-game or by international authorities, particularly when conduct is judged to damage the image of the team or the Games.

For France, the federation’s firm stance sends a clear message about expected conduct at the Olympics, even as the team tries to salvage its tournament. For Canada and other nations, the incident serves as a reminder of how quickly tempers can alter both a game’s tone and a player’s availability on hockey’s biggest stage.